Politics GOP women frustrated by Trump's approach to abuse charges

09:51 14 february 2018

09:51 14 february 2018 Source:
Associated Press

Senators call for investigation into USOC, USA gymnastics

The bipartisan action follows the sentencing of Larry Nassar who has been accused of sexually assaulting over 150 women and girlsA bipartisan group of senators have called for a special investigation into the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics after former team doctor Larry Nassar was found guilty in multiple cases of sexual abuse of young and aspiring athletes over several decades.

WASHINGTON — The Trump White House's handling of abuse charges against men in its midst is frustrating prominent Republican women as the party's yearslong struggle to attract female voters stretches into the 2018 midterm elections.

Parents of Nassar sexual abuse survivors demand accountability

Seven parents sit down for a candid and emotional conversation with "CBS This Morning" co-host Norah O'DonnellSome frustrated parents of athletes who survived sexual abuse by Larry Nassar say they don't care what happens to the former doctor, who was employed by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University. They want the institutions and the people who enabled him held accountable.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump White House' s handling of abuse charges against men in its midst is frustrating prominent Republican women as the party' s yearslong struggle to attract female voters stretches into the 2018 midterm elections. "It' s the mixed signals.

"It's the mixed signals. They've just got to be stronger, more consistent, clearer in the message" to women, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said Tuesday. "It's difficult being a Republican woman to have to fight through that all the time."

The thrice-married Trump added a new chapter to his difficult history with female voters in the past week by refusing to offer public words of support to the ex-wives of two senior presidential aides. Rob Porter, the president's staff secretary, resigned last week after ex-wives Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby came forward with allegations of abuse. DailyMail.com published photos of Holderness with a black eye. Porter denied harming either of them.

A second White House official, Trump speechwriter David Sorensen, left the White House last Friday after his ex-wife, Jessica Corbett, described physical abuse that included being thrown into a wall and burned by a cigarette. He too denied the allegations.

<p>President Donald Trump, frustrated by his staff's handling of the abuse allegations against Rob Porter, is increasingly venting about Chief of Staff John Kelly, sources say.</p>One senior administration official and three other people briefed on those conversations told NBC News Trump is angry at Kelly's initial statement of effusive support about Porter's character — and then the quick walkback the next day. After allegations of physical and verbal abuse were made public by two of Porter's ex-wives in The Daily Mail, Kelly said in a statement: "Rob Porter is a man of true integrity and honor and I can't say enough good things about him.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump White House' s handling of abuse charges against men in its midst is frustrating prominent Republican women as the party' s yearslong struggle to attract female voters stretches into the 2018 midterm elections. "It' s the mixed signals.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump White House' s handling of abuse charges against men in its midst is frustrating prominent Republican women as the party' s yearslong struggle to attract female voters stretches into the 2018 midterm elections. "It' s the mixed signals.

But Trump has had only good things to say about Porter and voiced sympathy for him. The president has refused to express support for the women involved or personally condemn domestic abuse.

"Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new," Trump said in a tweet Saturday. "There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?"

Trump Reportedly Questioned the Credibility of Rob Porter’s Accusers

In what may sound like a repeat from the days of Roy Moore last fall, President Trump has reportedly questioned the credibility of the women accusing Rob Porter of domestic abuse. Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby have shared their accounts with the press this week, and Porter said Wednesday he’s stepping down.Amid all the reports about internal White House turmoil and presidential furor over the handling of this mess, Trump said in front of the cameras today, “We wish him well. He worked very hard. I found out about it recently, and I was surprised by it. But we certainly wish him well.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump White House' s handling of abuse charges against men in its midst is frustrating prominent Republican women as the party' s yearslong struggle to attract female voters stretches into the 2018 midterm elections. "It' s the mixed signals.

The Trump White House's handling of abuse charges against men in its midst is frustrating prominent Republican women as the party's yearslong struggle to attract female voters stretches into the 2018 midterm Some GOP activists said Trump ' s approach risks alienating moderate Republican women .

"I'm extremely disappointed in this situation. Abuse is never OK," Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said on CNN Tuesday.

The president still hammers at his vanquished 2016 rival, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, whom he once threatened to throw in prison. His support among Republicans wavered just before Election Day with the release of an "Access Hollywood" recording in which Trump can be heard bragging about grabbing women by their genitals. And more than a dozen women have accused Trump of harassing or assaulting them. Trump called them liars and said he'd sue them — though that hasn't happened.

The White House says Americans issued their verdict on all of that when they elected Trump. Some 42 percent of women voted for Trump, while 56 percent went for Clinton. That's similar to the gender gap for Bill Clinton in 1996 and Barack Obama in 2012. Among registered voters, more than half of women — 54 percent — identify as Democrats or lean Democratic, compared with 38 percent who say they align with Republicans, according to 2016 Pew Research Center statistics.

Trump's support for accused abuser fits pattern

President Donald Trump has offered lots of supportive words for men accused of misconduct toward women.&nbsp;The president has voiced far less sympathy for women who have accused — and toppled — powerful men across Congress, the media, Hollywood and more.

Related content: GOP women frustrated by Trump ’ s approach to abuse charges . Privately, officials acknowledge that the public timeline offered last week — that the administration first learned of the ex-wives’ charges against Porter last Tuesday — was flawed at best.

But winning over women has long been an uphill battle for the GOP, and there are signs in recent polling that Trump is making it more difficult.

Most recent surveys have shown Democrats running ahead in national preference polls for Congress. One survey this month by Marist College showed Democrats leading by 21 percentage points among women. Another by Monmouth University released Jan. 31 showed Democrats up by 13 percentage points among female voters. In both polls, about 6 in 10 women disapproved of Trump.

"The party and party leadership has had so many opportunities to try to right its wrongs, and Donald Trump's wrongs, with women, to take a stand ... and they haven't," said Meghan Milloy, co-founder of Republican Women for Progress, previously called Republicans for Hillary. The GOP, she said, "is going to start losing women."

Jennifer Horn, former New Hampshire Republican chairwoman, added, "Every single time the president tries to excuse a man who has assaulted women, it makes it harder and harder for our candidates to run credible campaigns."

As questions swirled over the White House's timeline on Porter's dismissal, his security clearance and whether it's OK for alleged abusers to work as top presidential aides, Trump left it to some of the women around him to condemn domestic abuse.

"Above everything else, he supports the victims of any type of violence, and certainly would condemn any violence against anyone," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Tuesday.

Presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway said in a weekend interview on CNN that she had no reason to disbelieve accounts by Porter's ex-wives. But when asked if she was concerned for top White House aide Hope Hicks, who reportedly was dating Porter, Conway said no because "I've rarely met somebody so strong with such excellent instincts and loyalty and smarts." Conway added that domestic violence "knows no demographic or geographic bounds," and that she understands there is a stigma that surrounds these issues.

In an opinion piece in The Washington Post, Holderness wrote that Conway's first statement "implies that those who have been in abusive relationships are not strong. I beg to differ."

Follow Kellman and Peoples on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/APLaurieKellman and http://www.twitter.com/SPPeoples

British ex-soccer coach convicted of 43 sex-abuse charges .
A former English youth soccer coach was convicted of 43 charges of sex abuse against 11 young players in a trial that detailed how he shattered the trust of boys who dreamed of becoming professionals. Barry Bennell was found guilty by a jury on Thursday of seven charges of sexual abuse, adding to 36 from Tuesday at Liverpool Crown Court. The abuse occurred during his time working for northwest clubs Manchester City and Crewe Alexandra, among others, from 1979 to 1990.The 64-year-old Bennell will be sentenced on Monday. He has previously received three jail sentences for offenses against children.

Related content: GOP women frustrated by Trump ’ s approach to abuse charges . Privately, officials acknowledge that the public timeline offered last week — that the administration first learned of the ex-wives’ charges against Porter last Tuesday — was flawed at best.

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